Exactly a decade later, almost to the day, I was traveling through Palestine with a friend from college. We were visiting Beit She’an, a Roman-era settlement, as well as Jericho and the banks of the Jordan River. As to be expected in the Holy Land, even when things are outwardly peaceful, a tension hangs in the air nearly everywhere you go. Military checkpoints had 18-year old female Israeli soldiers with sub-machine guns eye us suspiciously when we crossed into new territory. I had noticed helicopters hovering above our taxi while we were driving, but didn’t think anything of it. Then we were suddenly escorted to the side of the freeway by unmarked cars and quickly had more sub-machine guns aimed at our car by what appeared to be policemen, speaking rapidly to our driver while we sat mesmerized and terrified. As quickly as they came, they left, satisfied we posed no danger. Our driver told us they were looking for two suicide bombers in an identical van to ours on the same road at the same time. Our shock only increased when we read the newspaper the next day and saw that the suspects were in fact apprehended that day–same model of taxi-van, same freeway, same afternoon.

I have experienced the effects of terrorism in two countries, albeit not directly and fortunately not in any way that harmed me or my loved ones and for that I am thankful. One was the result of violent criminals who were White, staunchly Catholic, and Irish. The other was planned by Arab Muslims in the Middle East. For both, religion was an important motivation, but not the sole or even primary reason for their terrorism.

Like most terrorist acts, the motivation came out of a mix of socioeconomic and/or ethno-religious reasoning and such people rarely represent their community at large. If you have read this blog before, even just a couple entries, you know that we have profiled religiously motivated violence and terrorism in several countries and the aggressors are a colorful bunch–Hindus in India, communists in Cuba and China, Buddhist authorities in Thailand, as well as the aforementioned Muslims and Christians.

The horrific attack that occurred in Norway last week might be the worst terrorist attack to hit Europe in the post-9/11 era. The savage way that the acts were committed and the tragedy of so many youth being targeted makes the incident hard to comprehend. It was an alarming story for me to hear as I had camped in a similar location near Oslo some years ago, very close to where the killings took place. Many were quick to point out that the suspect is a Christian fundamentalist, an anti-Muslim terrorist, eager to erase Norway’s non-indigenous populations. There have been those on the right who are quick to ignore or brush this fact away and those on the left who see this as a way to further demonize religion, Christianity in particular.

Too many people in the news quickly blamed Muslims for the attack, speaking without any credible information in the hours before we knew the attacker’s name or motivation, leading to a CNN article on why we can’t blame the Muslims in such a situation without knowing all the information. The fact of the matter is that the demon of terrorism is one that will practice whatever religion it must to satisfy its craving for violence. Terrorism knows no religion that it can’t corrupt. Violence can find a home in any religion, any belief system, be it Muslim, Christian, or Sikh and it is not partial to any one in particular, despite the ramblings in the media. I have even had several good discussions with RLTV contributor Joshua Crouch this year about how violence and terrorism find just as comfortable a home in the lack of a religious structure, as we have seen this year in Laos, China, North Korea, and Cuba.     

As candidates for president openly admit their refusal to appoint a Muslim in their hypothetical cabinet, let us remember that the world’s one billion Muslims should not be judged on the actions of criminals, just as Christians would not want to be judged by the actions of Anders Behring Breivik in Norway.

Khalid Latif in that same article gave his readers a suggested course of action, one we often forget about in this chaotic world, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Norway. May God make things easy for them and grant us all the strength and courage to stand up against those who preach intolerance and hatred, even if they look like us, align politically with us, or practice the same religion we practice.”

Article18 is a weekly blog written by Martin Surridge, Associate Editor of Religious Liberty TV. Article18 logo and other artwork created by Bradley Kenyon.

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Don’t forget to check out other recent Article18 entries.

Article18: Uzbekistan — Recent Incidents of Violence Against Christians Alarm Religious Minorities

Article18: Cuba — Three Protestant Pastors Interrogated; Roman Catholic Church in Havana Helps Free 126 Prisoners of Conscience

Article18: Saudi Arabia — Prominent Saudi Cleric Hopes Women Who Violate Driving Ban Incur Wrath of God and Die

Article18: Mexico — Confirmed Presence of Major Islamic Terrorist Group Near U.S. Border; Former Killer Preaches to Violent Gangsters

Article18: Laos — Four Christian Women Raped and Executed by Laotian Military Along Vietnam Border

By the year 2020, there will be 30 million more men than women of marriageable age in this giant empire, so large and so different (its current population is 1,336,410,000) that it often feels more like a separate planet than just another country. Nothing like this has ever happened to any civilisation before.

The nearest we can come to it is the sad shortage of men after the First World War in Britain, France, Russia and Germany, and the many women denied the chance of family life and motherhood as a result.

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The Chinese state, never having intended this result and increasingly alarmed by it, is now using all its huge propaganda resources to try to stop the slaughter of unborn girls.

But it will be hard to fight against the cold hard prejudice in favour of sons and against daughters, rooted in a prehistoric belief that sons will care for their aged parents while daughters will cost money in dowries, and desert to the families into which they marry.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1265068/China-The-worlds-new-superpower-beginning-century-supremacy-alarming-surplus-males.html#ixzz0kljLVR68

In her speech, available online at C-SPAN, Secretary Clinton said:

[O]ur country has been strengthened by its long tradition of religious pluralism. From the largest denominations to the very smallest congregations, American religious bodies and faith-based organizations have helped to create a more just and compassionate society. Now, some claim that the best way to protect the freedom of religion is to implement so-called anti-defamation policies that would restrict freedom of expression and the freedom of religion. I strongly disagree. The United States will always seek to counter negative stereotypes of individuals based on their religion and will stand against discrimination and persecution.

But an individual’s ability to practice his or her religion has no bearing on others’ freedom of speech. The protection of speech about religion is particularly important since persons of different faiths will inevitably hold divergent views on religious questions. These differences should be met with tolerance, not with the suppression of discourse.

Clinton also addressed the status of religious freedom around the world and described several initiatives designed to promote interfaith dialogue and understanding.

In the Executive Summary of the report, available at the State Department web site, the Bureau describes international efforts, focusing on the efforts of the Vatican to engage Islam.    The Summary mentions that there is no “country report” for the Vatican which enjoys national sovereignty.

“The Holy See has taken a leading role in recent engagement with Islam, accompanied by growing interest from diverse religious groups and regions. . . . The Holy See favors a dialogue that will lead to greater religious freedom and tolerance for differences. In the letter exchange between Prince Talal and the Vatican, analysts have noted references from both sides to longstanding areas of concern, such as respect for the dignity of every human person and respect for religious freedom, often expressed in terms of “reciprocity.” Other areas of concern include educating the public on the essential elements of both religions, sharing religious experience, and promoting mutual respect instead of violence, especially among the young.”

The report also outlines progress toward religious reconciliation within countries. such as India which recently experienced violence between religious groups, the Ukraine, and several other nations.

There are several nations with severe religious liberty situations (designated as Countries of Particular Concern, or CPCs)  including Burma which is currently under U.S. sanction for human rights abuses, China with which the U.S. has a complicated relationship due to a combination of ongoing human rights abuses and trade, Eritrea, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Uzbekistan.  The report outlines specific concerns about these countries and others.

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Full Transcript: Saddleback Presidential Forum, Sen. Barack Obama, John McCain; Moderated by Rick Warren
Aired August 16, 2008 – 20:00 ET

WARREN: Religious persecution, what do you think the U.S. should do to end religious persecution, for instance, in China, in Iraq, and in many of our supposed allies? I’m not just talking about persecution of Christianity, but there’s religious persecution around the world that persecutes millions of people.

OBAMA: Well, I think the first thing we have to do is to bear witness and speak out, and not pretend that it’s not taking place. You know, our relationship with China, for example, is a very complicated one. You know, we’re trading partners. Unfortunately, they are now lenders to us because we haven’t been taking care of our economy the way we need to be. I don’t think any of us want to see military conflict with China.

So we want to manage this relationship and move them into the world community as a full partner, but we can’t purchase that by ignoring the very real prosecutions, persecutions that are taking place, and so having an administration that is speaking out, joining in international forums, where we can point out human rights abuses, and the absence of religious freedom, that, I think, is absolutely critical. Over time, what we are doing is setting up new norms and creating a universal principle that people’s faith and people’s beliefs have to be protected.

Over time, what we are doing is setting up new norms and creating a universal principle that people’s faith and people’s beliefs have to be protected.

And as you said, it’s not just Christians, and we’ve got to make sure, you know, one thing I think is very important for us to do on all of these issues is to lead by example. That’s why I think it’s so important for us to have religious tolerance here in the United States. That’s why it’s so important for us, when we are criticizing other countries about rule of law to make sure that we’re abiding by rule of law, and habeas corpus, and we’re not engaging in torture, because that gives us a moral standing to talk about these other issues.

Full Transcript: Saddleback Presidential Forum, Sen. Barack Obama, John McCain; Moderated by Rick Warren
Aired August 16, 2008 – 20:00 ET

WARREN: Religious persecution, what do you think the U.S. should do to end religious persecution, for instance, in China, in Iraq, and in many of our supposed allies? I’m not just talking about persecution of Christianity, but there’s religious persecution around the world that persecutes millions of people.

OBAMA: Well, I think the first thing we have to do is to bear witness and speak out, and not pretend that it’s not taking place. You know, our relationship with China, for example, is a very complicated one. You know, we’re trading partners. Unfortunately, they are now lenders to us because we haven’t been taking care of our economy the way we need to be. I don’t think any of us want to see military conflict with China.

So we want to manage this relationship and move them into the world community as a full partner, but we can’t purchase that by ignoring the very real prosecutions, persecutions that are taking place, and so having an administration that is speaking out, joining in international forums, where we can point out human rights abuses, and the absence of religious freedom, that, I think, is absolutely critical. Over time, what we are doing is setting up new norms and creating a universal principle that people’s faith and people’s beliefs have to be protected.

Over time, what we are doing is setting up new norms and creating a universal principle that people’s faith and people’s beliefs have to be protected.

And as you said, it’s not just Christians, and we’ve got to make sure, you know, one thing I think is very important for us to do on all of these issues is to lead by example. That’s why I think it’s so important for us to have religious tolerance here in the United States. That’s why it’s so important for us, when we are criticizing other countries about rule of law to make sure that we’re abiding by rule of law, and habeas corpus, and we’re not engaging in torture, because that gives us a moral standing to talk about these other issues.

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BEIJING (Reuters) – Threatened by a “financial tsunami,” the world must consider building a financial order no longer dependent on the United States, a leading Chinese state newspaper said on Wednesday.

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Its pronouncements do not necessarily directly reflect leadership views, but this commentary by a professor at Shanghai’s Tongji University suggested considerable official alarm at the strains buckling world financial markets.

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“The world urgently needs to create a diversified currency and financial system and fair and just financial order that is not dependent on the United States.”

But Vice Premier Wang Qishan, on a visit to the United States, told U.S. trade officials in a meeting on Tuesday that China and the United States needed to maintain close economic ties with global markets going through such turbulence.

“The Chinese government is well aware of the fact that the United States, which is the world’s largest developed country, and China, which is the world’s largest developing country, should have constructive and cooperative economic and trade relations,” he said.

China is a major buyer of U.S. Treasury bonds, and through its sovereign wealth fund it has taken stakes in two large U.S. financial institutions.

…

Read more at http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSPEK4365020080917?sp=true

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“While China’s leadership has shown a willingness to abandon, gradually, its anti-religious bias, this freedom has its limits. The regime still tries to micromanage religion. Citizens who shun state-sanctioned religious institutions in favour of “underground” churches do so at great personal risk. How the government deals with God in China will reveal whether the country is finally ready for democracy. In this hour-long documentary, produced for Italy’s RomeReports News Agency, Chinese men and women speak candidly of their experiences as religious believers, and their assessment of what the future may hold for them. The film presents interviews with representatives of both official and underground religions, shows priests and seminarians practicing their faith in secret, and offers a rare glimpse into China’s Muslim community.”

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This is from the The Houston Chronicle via Bill Cork’s website, Oak Leaves.    

“Previous Olympic hosts welcomed foreign chaplains, but China has banned them from living with the athletes. It has instead pledged that it will provide equivalent services from its pool of state-employed pastors, imams and other clerics.”

. . . 

“China’s ruling Communist Party is suspicious of any cause that could compete with its authority, including organized religion. Officially, the party allows worship only at registered churches belonging to a state-controlled organization; nonregistered places of worship are closely monitored. The party also bans foreign chaplains’ holding services without government permission or proselytizing on Chinese soil.”

. . . 

“As Americans, we believe in having our free will to do as we please and express our views,” McAdams said. “It has been a little awkward, but we are in a communist country, and that is the way things are done.”

Read the full article at The Houston Chronicle.

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President George W. Bush plans to attend church while in China for the opening of the Olympic Games next month, and will speak about freedom of religion, a top aide said Wednesday.

“When he goes to church on Sunday (August 10) he will make a statement afterwards in which he discusses his view on religious freedom in China,” said national security council director of Asian Affairs Dennis Wilder.

…

Bush, a devout Christian, has walked a diplomatic tightrope over the Olympics, repeatedly insisting the games are not a political venue while recently stepping up his public criticism of Beijing’s rights record.

…

“What we are looking for in China is not gestures, we are looking for structural change, we are looking for long term change,” Wilder said.

“We are looking for the Chinese at these games to show that they are making progress, to demonstrate to the world, the spotlight is on Beijing, this is an opportunity for Beijing to show that it is widening … freedom of press, freedom of expression,” he said.

…

Asked about China’s failure to release political prisoners as a goodwill gesture ahead of the Games, Wilder said: “Obviously I would like to see all these political prisoners that we have on our lists released.

“We have handed the Chinese lists of people that we think are unfairly in prison.”

U.S. President George Bush says he will continue to press for greater religious freedom in his meetings with world leaders – including those in China. VOA’s Paula Wolfson reports Mr. Bush spoke at a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of legislation designed to promote religious freedom around the world.

George W. Bush makes a statement in Rose Garden of White House, 14 Jul 2008

The president says in too many countries, too many people lack the right to worship as they please.

“Our thoughts turn especially to countries where religious freedom is of particular concern,” said President Bush. “Some of these nations have taken steps toward reform. Others have not.”

In remarks on the 10th anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act, the president made specific mention of Iran, Eritrea, Sudan, North Korea, Burma, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia. But his most detailed remarks concerned the treatment of those seeking religious freedom in China.

Mr. Bush spoke about his recent meeting in Washington with a Chinese human-rights lawyer named Li Baiguang who is a devout Protestant.

“For his work he has been repeatedly jailed and attacked,” he said. “A few months ago, he was scheduled to meet with members of Congress. State authorities blocked the meeting and detained Li on the outskirts of Beijing.”

President Bush said he has brought up the need for greater religious freedom in China in past meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao. He has indicated he plans to do so again when he travels to Beijing next month for the opening of the summer Olympic games.

“Wherever and whenever I meet leaders, I am going to constantly remind them they ought to welcome religion in their society, not fear it,” said Mr. Bush.

Mr. Bush made his comments to a small audience made up largely of members of Congress who pushed the International Religious Freedom Act through the legislature in 1998.  Among other things, it set up a U.S. commission to monitor religious rights around the world, established the position of an ambassador for religious freedom, and authorized the use of sanctions against nations that deny their people the right to worship as they see fit.

http://voanews.com/english/2008-07-14-voa61.cfm

Used with permission pursuant to VOA Terms of Service.

“China is a country under the rule of law, and the Chinese government protects its citizens’ freedom of religious belief according to law, and Chinese citizens enjoy full freedom of religious belief protected by law,” Liu said.

…

“Meanwhile, what needs to be stressed is that people are all equals in the eyes of the law. Anyone’s speech or behavior should not violate the country’s law nor imperil the state security and social stability,” Liu said.

Read more at http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/16/content_8557004.htm

Last week as it circled the globe, protesters chased the Olympic flame as it traveled to Beijing. That China has been involved in human rights abuses and untoward activities in Tibet is a fact, and a boycott of the Olympics would certainly send a signal to the authorities that the world is paying attention. But as far as having a lasting financial impact, it would be a drop in the bucket when compared with the sheer volume of trade with China that takes place every single day.

Although the Soviet Union was demonized as the Evil Empire because it pointed nuclear missiles at the United States and threatened to turn our country into a ditch, up until the last few months as politicians have begun to grasp the value of speaking out about the issue, China has escaped much of our scrutiny most likely because of its business acumen and our flat-out dependence on it. Face it – almost everything is made in China these days. Even the computer mouse that went out of control and accidentally deleted this paragraph the first time I wrote it was made in China.

Normally, I don’t like to think too hard about the person who fastened the screws that hold it together or glued the little pads on that help it slide around. If the stories coming out of China are correct, it was probably made by a sweat-shop employee who earns a few cents a day and is treated like a slave, an actual slave, or a prisoner, so that I could buy it for $5.95 (after a rebate I never received) and still give Best Buy a healthy profit. Same goes for my phone and this computer. Even my Canadian-made shirt would fall off without its Chinese-made buttons. If I were to suddenly boycott all my stuff that was made in China by people living under less-than-favorable conditions, I would probably be forced to wear an American-made barrel. So would you.

According to the Financial Times, China has had the world’s largest economy for 18 of the past 20 centuries.[1] China represented a full 33% of the world’s gross domestic product as recently as 1820. It has only been in the last 100 years that the United States overtook China’s economy as a function of the industrial revolution and possibly the onset of communism, and this period may be viewed as an anomaly if current trends continue.

It is well-known that the communist government of China has enslaved, tortured, and killed political dissidents, including Christians, Buddhists, and everybody else who has questioned the regime. China has severely limited freedom of speech to the point where, according to Reporters Without Borders, at least 30 journalists and 50 bloggers have been thrown in jail for what they have written. In fact, if I was living in China and published this, I would probably get a strict talking-to by the local officials. And if a person in China decided to print out this page and pass it around, they could be arrested.

So does China deserve to host the Olympics? Ask Ye Guozhu, the leader of the human rights protests in China. Of course, you’ll have to wait a while to do so since he’s currently serving a four-year prison sentence, has limited access to his own attorney, and can only dream about seeing his family.

Whether or not a boycott would achieve a positive result for human rights in China is a matter of debate. If it worked, then human rights problems could be significantly reduced as Chinese authorities recognized the errors of the ways. Most likely, they would respond by increasing penalties against those who dared to report the problem, and stifle communications with the rest of the world.

Culpability for the current state of affairs in China is not limited to China, but also to those countries which opened vast arenas of trade without any concurrent requirement that human rights be upheld. In fact, the disparity has lowered the prices of Chinese goods that are almost impervious to changes in the value of the dollar, and we fill our closets with items made by people who have been denied their basic human rights.

We used to think that free trade with China would lead to an improvement in the human rights situation, but this has not been working. While we have seen a shift away from socialism to nationalist capitalism, the authoritarian component has remained the same. As a nation, we are locked into trade with China, and indeed are in debt to them to the tune of billions of dollars. Thus, the responsibility of effecting change is unlikely to ever be borne by this nation, however, as an individual consumer you do have the choice to effect a positive change in China, and you can vote with your wallet.

If you’re reading this, you are probably already opposed to torture and slavery and you might have even been one of the protestors along the route. You may want to see the United States boycott the Olympics. But what about trade with China? Are you willing to buy only items made by reasonably compensated people and companies that refuse to take economic advantage of limited human rights?

I’m realizing that this is probably sounding a lot like a sermon, so like any good sermon, it’s time to ask for a commitment – The Olympics are largely symbolic, our dollars speak in real terms. My friends, it is one thing to complain about the Olympics being held in that land of persecution and torture, but odds are, like me, you will not be attending or otherwise be contributing in a significant manner. We know that the total money spent during the Olympics will only be a trickle compared with the daily oceans of commerce, yet continue to feed this dragon that has little to no regard for basic human rights? Brothers and sisters, the time has come to ask this important question, what are we going to do about China?

Michael D. Peabody is an employment law attorney in California who frequently writes on Constitutional Law topics.